Raheem Sterling has been stripped of his shirt number at Chelsea despite still being at the club, with his jersey going to a new Blues arrival.
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Nottingham Forest will be looking for just their second Premier League victory of 2024 when they take on Crystal Palace at the City Ground tomorrow afternoon.
Nuno Espírito Santo's side's last league victory came in February, with the Reds defeating David Moyes' side 2-0 thanks to goals from Taiwo Awoniyi and Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Since the win, Forest have lost three and drawn one of the last five league outings, with the Tricky Trees needing to change their fortunes and change them fast.
The club were hit with a four-point deduction last week for breaking the Premier League's PSR rules, subsequently dropping into the relegation zone as a result and left just a point behind Luton Town.
The game against fellow strugglers Palace is a huge opportunity for Forest to leapfrog the Hatters, with the club only having nine games remaining before the end of the 2023/24 campaign.
One player is deserving of a start at the City Ground, with the loanee enjoying a very successful international break.
Gio Reyna's stats vs Jamaica
The Forest loanee didn't originally start the CONCACAF tie against Jamaica last week, with the attacking midfielder coming on for the second half and eventually extra time.
Gio Reyna took his opportunity from the bench with both hands, claiming the Man of the Match award for his 75-minute performance. The 21-year-old featured in a slightly deeper midfield role for his country, which saw him complete 69 passes, at a completion rate of 90%.
It wasn't just offensively where he excelled, but also defensively, with Reyna winning all three of his tackles, whilst coming out on top in five of his eight ground duels.
The youngster assisted both goals for the USA, with his two contributions the difference saving teammate Matt Turner's blushes after failing to keep out Greg Leigh's early finish.
Minutes played
75
Assists
2
Chances created
4
Passes
69/77 (90%)
Shots
3
Tackles
3
In the next outing, against Mexico just a couple of days ago, he scored the goal to kill the game off – with the attacking midfielder being named the Player of the Tournament after he contributed one goal and two assists in the semi-final and final.
Gio Reyna's stats at Nottingham Forest
After joining the club on loan until the end of the season from Borussia Dortmund, Reyna has only featured for a combined 38 minutes, with the American not having the opportunity to showcase his talents – yet to start in the Premier League thus far.
After his 'spectacular' recent international performances, as claimed by GOAL journalist Ryan Tolmich, it's clear there is a player within the 21-year-old, with Nuno needing to try and work his magic to allow the youngster to flourish.
With Forest having just nine games left to save themselves in the Premier League, the Reds boss should look to include the USA international in the game against Palace at the City Ground this afternoon, with Reyna having the ability to cause the Eagles backline constant trouble.
Given his recent reluctance to deploy Hudson-Odoi from a starting position, he should drop Divock Origi and allow the 21-year-old a chance from the start to demonstrate his quality and have a positive impact on the vital Premier League encounter.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Leeds United scouts have been wowed by a potential free agent ahead of the summer transfer window.
Leeds light in midfield as injuries mount
It is no secret that Leeds United are somewhat light in midfield at the moment. With Ilia Gruev out injured, they have been forced down to the bare bones in the centre of the pitch, and should either Glen Kamara or Archie Gray pick up a knock, they may have to turn to their academy in the shape of young talent Charlie Crew.
Leeds United's midfield options 23/24
Player
Matched played in central midfield
Ethan Ampadu
27
Ilia Gruev
15
Archie Gray
11
Glen Kamara
30
Daniel Farke himself explained the problem that the Championship side face after their late 3-1 win over Hull City on Monday: "First of all if Ilia is not available, we are missing a really good midfield option. Ilia is important for our rhythm, sometimes to calm the game down, sometimes to speed it up, really tidy on the ball, shows himself, wants to have the ball under pressure and helps to build against really good pressing side.
"Obviously Charlie Crew plays in a similar role, perhaps a bit more offensive but due to his age he can’t fulfil the role Ilia has done. We see him as a high potential young player, there’s a long way to go, you can’t take it for granted a 17 year old plays day in day out like Archie. It would be unfair to put the same weight of expectations on Charlie Crew’s shoulders."
There is also the possibility that the club lose the services of Gray ahead of the new campaign, with the talented youngster having been linked with a move to a bigger side in recent months. Clearly then, midfield will be a priority for Farke this summer.
Leeds keen on free agent; two conditions needed to join
Now, sources in Portugal [via Sport Witness] claim that Leeds are one of several sides keeping tabs on FC Vizela midfielder Samu, with reports that the midfielder has wowed scouts with his 'fitness records' thanks to the fact that he covers roughly 13km per game in the Portuguese top flight.
Though he has only managed four goals and two assists, the Vizela skipper could finally be set to leave Portugal, where he has spent his entire career to date. The 27-year-old is out of contract this summer as things stand and is reportedly ready to leave his current club if they are to be relegated which, two points adrift of a relegation play off and five points away from complete safety as things stands, looks more likely than not.
Leeds make offer for the next Gray in wonderkid who had trial at Man Utd
Leeds United are pursuing a deal for this highly rated youngster.
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Leeds are not alone in their admiration though, with fellow Championship side Southampton also thought to be tracking the Portuguese youth international. However, neither side will be likely to secure him, it is added, unless they can offer Premier League football, something that at present Farke's side appear more likely to be able to do.
Should he arrive, he could provide a much-needed rotation option in the heart of the Elland Road engine room.
Manchester United staff have been left "shocked, angry and upset" as Sir Jim Ratcliffe plans a brutal exodus to cut down on expenses.
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Mauricio Pochettino's Chelsea will be looking to reach another cup semi-final this weekend when they take on Leicester City at Stamford Bridge this afternoon.
The Blues come into the encounter off the back of a valuable 3-2 victory against Newcastle United on Monday night, with Chelsea moving within a point of the Magpies after the win.
Multiple players impressed during the encounter, with the likes of Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernández the two stand-out players for Poch's side.
Despite the two impressing from the start, one player made a great impact after his substitution onto the pitch, with today's cup tie a brilliant opportunity for him to carry on his good form.
Why Raheem Sterling could make way against Leicester
Raheem Sterling started the encounter against Newcastle, but he was replaced after 71 minutes after another disappointing display for the Blues.
During his time on the pitch, the 29-year-old only managed 15 touches, whilst completing just seven passes – the lowest of any outfield player who started the match.
Raheem Sterling
7
Nicolas Jackson
10
Cole Palmer
20
Malo Gusto
33
Marc Cucurella
33
The winger managed three shots during his display, one of which was a big chance missed which could've secured the three points for the Blues long before the winning goal.
Sterling's below-par performance didn't stop there, with the attacker failing to win any of his six duels whilst being dribbled past three times by the opposition.
The winger has been satisfactory at best in recent weeks, with the former Manchester City man failing to live up to the £45m price tag the club paid for him just a couple of years ago.
His latest performance has given Pochettino a decision to make ahead of the FA Cup quarter-final – especially after the man who replaced Sterling found himself on the scoresheet.
The man to replace Sterling
After replacing Sterling in the 71st minute, 23-year-old Mykhailo Mudryk scored what turned out to be the winning goal for Pochettino's side – his first Premier League goal since the end of December.
In his 19-minute cameo, the Ukrainian only made two fewer passes than Sterling, but boasted a much better duel win percentage, winning all four of his ground battles.
The "phenomenal" winger, as dubbed by former Chelsea player Pat Nevin, has struggled for form after his £89m move during January 2023 with Monday's goal only one of six in his 46 appearances for the Blues.
However, his brilliant display off the bench earlier in the week could be the springboard he needs to be a hit at Stamford Bridge. It's clear the £100k-per-week star has been lacking in confidence since his arrival, with the youngster needing time to find his feet at his new home.
He deserves a start after his cameo against Eddie Howe's side, with the Ukrainian having a huge opportunity to be at the heart of another successful outing for the Blues which would result in another Wembley trip and move Pochettino's side one step closer to another cup final.
Either side of Aston Villa's promotion from the Championship to the Premier League, they launched multiple raids on Brentford. First, they poached their manager from the Bees, appointing Dean Smith, the man who would steer them back to the top flight, in 2018.
In 2019, he reunited with Ezri Konsa at Villa Park after paying £12m for the centre-back and then, a year on, he sanctioned what was at the time a club-record £28m deal for striker Ollie Watkins.
There haven't been any major dealings between the clubs since, but Villa have showed some interest in another striker at the Gtech Community Stadium, this time Ivan Toney. It was reported last May that Toney was on Unai Emery's radar, and that the Midlands outfit were plotting a move. It didn't materialise last summer, but now pundit Stan Collymore has pleaded with the club to revisit the deal.
Speaking to CaughtOffside, Collymore told Villa to sign Toney on the basis that they need another more reliable option at the head of the team, with Jhon Duran facing multiple weeks out because of a hamstring injury.
He said: “I would love to see Aston Villa join the party. I know Toney’s preference may be to stay in London, but if he fancies a change of scenery, I would happily drive him to the Midlands myself.
"Unai Emery is one injury away from having no recognised striker. If Ollie Watkins is sidelined, that only leaves Jhon Duran, and he’s injured himself at the moment, so it’s obvious Villa needs a new forward — Toney would be a superb addition."
Toney has proven himself to be a top-class striker, having reached the 20-goal mark in the league last season. There are no signs of him struggling to get back into form after an eight-month betting ban, either – heading into Saturday's trip to Wolves, he'd scored two in three following his return.
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But just because a player is elite, it doesn't always make them the right fit for a particular team. In Watkins, Villa have one of the outstanding centre-forwards in not only England, but European football this season. In addition to his 11 goals, he's also notched a league-high ten assists, ranking second in the division for overall goal involvements.
|
Stat (per 90) |
Ollie Watkins (23/24) |
Ivan Toney 22/23 |
|---|---|---|
|
Non-penalty goals |
0.49 |
0.43 |
|
Assists |
0.44 |
0.12 |
|
Goal contributions |
0.93 |
0.73 |
|
Non-penalty xG |
0.47 |
0.5 |
Yes, signing both players would offer Emery some peerless depth, but the reality is that both of these players are far too good to accept sitting on the bench. While the Spaniard has used a 4-4-2 at times and could theoretically accommodate the duo with that shape, his typical use of Moussa Diaby alongside Watkins suggests he prefers a more withdrawn option to complement his number nine.
Liam Dawson’s fourth half-century of the season steered Hampshire to the safety of a draw on the final day of their County Championship fixture with Surrey at The Oval.The visitors looked in trouble after Amar Virdi’s three wickets reduced them to 175 for 5 shortly before tea, still 37 away from an innings defeat.But Dawson, who was 65 not out having scored a century against Surrey in the Royal London Cup earlier in the season, proved their nemesis again, batting for two hours to take Hampshire to 253 for 5 in company with debutant Harry Came, who remained not out 23 as they avoided defeat.Earlier, Ollie Pope had completed a maiden County Championship double century to set up the hosts’ morning declaration before hot-footing it to Headingly as England cover should Jason Roy be ruled out of the third Test with possible concussion.Surrey began the day 123 ahead and in need of quick runs. Skipper Ben Foakes was bowled through the gate before the go button could be pressed, but Pope continued serenely onto his double hundred from 323 balls with 19 fours.Rikki Clarke hoisted Dawson for a huge straight six to provide the necessary acceleration before being adjudged lbw to Fidel Edwards, who claimed 5 for 125, though replays suggested the ball would have missed leg-stump.The declaration came soon afterwards at 579 for 7 with Pope 221 not out, which left Hampshire 212 in arrears and with 40 minutes to negotiate before lunch.The hosts spurned a chance when Ryan Patel dropped Felix Organ at third slip after he was on eight, but they made the breakthrough with the last ball before the interval, Virdi having Ian Holland caught down the leg side by Foakes.There was more encouragement soon after the resumption when Clarke pinned England hopeful James Vince in front for just a single to leave Hampshire 39 for 2.It was clear the visitors’ intent was to play positively in a bid to wipe out their arrears and get in front. However, Sam Northeast took that intention to extreme lengths with a string of streaky shots down through third man and ultimately it proved his undoing when he slashed one from Morne Morkel to Scott Borthwick at slip.Organ meanwhile, was making the most of his earlier reprieve, racing to 50 in 55 balls with a six and eight fours, ending up with 77. He looked increasingly confident, but with a second century in as many matches beckoning he, like Northeast, contributed to his own downfall, giving Virdi the charge and missing the ball to be stumped by Foakes.The same combination would account for Rilee Rossouw before the end of the session, though the South African should probably reflect on why he was playing a needless sweep shot so close to an interval.Hampshire were wobbling but Dawson dug in, finding an ally in Came, who showed great composure for a man making his first appearance six days shy of his 21st birthday as a concussion replacement for Aneurin Donald, who was injured in the field on day three.Dawson’s 50 came in 63 balls to wipe out the arrears and the pair shared a half-century stand in the game’s dying embers.
Carey’s made a compelling case to be considered as a specialist batsman, even as Smith and Warner are set for Test return
Daniel Brettig13-Jul-2019
Getty Images
Cameron Bancroft and Marnus Labuschagne will have the chance to elbow their way into Australia’s Ashes tour party. The duo are part of a preliminary 25-man squad to face-off in a warm-up game ahead of the first Test against England starting August 1. Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis are the notable absentees.The squad will be trimmed to 16 for the series beginning August 1. Labuschagne (1057 runs at 70.46 for Glamorgan), Bancroft (698 at 46.53 for Durham) and Peter Siddle (27 wickets at 22.23 for Essex) have already presented compelling cases for selection through their performances in county cricket. If picked, Bancroft would be returning to Australia’s squad alongside David Warner and Steven Smith for the first time since the expiry of their bans in the wake of the Newlands scandal.Among other subplots will be the performance of reserve wicketkeeper Alex Carey, who by his outstanding World Cup displays has raised the possibility of being picked as a specialist batsman. The likes of Marcus Harris, Joe Burns and Kurtis Patterson will also be duelling for spots in what has now become a particularly deep field of batting candidates, also featuring Matthew Wade. The selection chairman Trevor Hohns said Bancroft’s displays for Australia prior to his ban merited another chance.”Cameron was making a fair amount of headway when he played Test cricket last for Australia and that was in South Africa,” Hohns said. “I think it’s been well documented that he was out leading run scorer in South Africa. What he’s done is he’s got on with business since he’s been able to play again, he’s playing with Durham in the County Championship, so he’s doing everything he possibly can to get himself back into consideration and back into the Australian squad.”He’s scoring runs on a pretty regular basis so he has been included in that 25-man squad along with two other players [Labuschange and Peter Siddle]. We’ve nominated 25 players, 25 doesn’t go into 16 so there’s going to be some disappointments but all we can do is try to select a squad that we think can win the Ashes in English conditions.”We’ve got all the history about what happened back home, we’ve got a little bit of what’s going on here in England at the moment with Australia A, but it’s more about the here and now and what’s going to happen in the next month or so.”Getty Images
Hohns indicated that the squad would likely include five pacemen, a back-up spin bowler and two wicketkeepers. He also hinted that his personal preference may be for more than 16 players in the final squad. With that in mind, the role of Carey as both a back-up gloveman and also a credible extra batsman may make him doubly valuable.”He’s proving himself to be a very smart cricketer,” Hohns said of Carey. “He played very well in the World Cup of course, batting wise he was very, very good, he showed calmness in a lot of different situations as well so he’s been very impressive, and of course his glovework we’ve been very impressed with for some time now so he’s progressing nicely.”I always ask for flexibility in numbers but at the moment we’re heading towards 16 at this stage and 16 I think historically has been about the right number. On the odd occasion there might’ve been one more. Doubtful that there’s been much less for an Ashes tour, but it’s quite a hectic program with five Test matches pretty close together and then of course we’ve got other players probably that will be included in the Ashes squad that have had quite an intense World Cup program.”The omission of Stoinis and Maxwell, who claimed four wickets for Lancashire on his post-World Cup return to cricket on Saturday, was an indicator that they have now fallen some distance away from Test calculations. “Let’s put it this way,” Hohns said. “We probably consider the 25 that did get chosen in this game or for this game as more in contention than those guys. It’s unfortunate but that’s just where we’re at right here and now.”Usman Khawaja’s continuing recovery from a hamstring strain will be monitored closely, though he is one the World Cup squad members now enjoying time away from the game until the 25 assemble in Southampton for the tour game. Hohns said that, having not won the Ashes in England since 2001, no compromises have been made in trying to prepare for the task ahead.”I think the preparation has been outstanding,” he said. “The organisational work that has gone into this tour, not just for the Ashes but the World Cup then straight into the Ashes and then you’ve got Australia A as well, we’re leaving no stone unturned basically in an attempt to win the Ashes in England, and it’s been a long time, there’s no doubt about that.”But I think we’re in pretty good shape at the moment. England are a pretty good side there’s no doubt about that, but we’re in reasonable shape, particularly with Smith and Warner coming back. we’re lucky right now I think to have our battery of fast bowlers fit and ready to go as well, so that’s something that hasn’t happened for a while when we’ve got a full complement of our major fast bowlers available.”Australia preliminary squad: Cameron Bancroft, Jackson Bird, Joe Burns, Alex Carey, Patrick Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Jon Holland, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Michael Neser, Tim Paine, Kurtis Patterson, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Peter Siddle, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Chris Tremain, Matthew Wade, David Warner
كشف أحمد ياسر لاعب فريق التحدي الليبي عن كواليس اقترابه من نادي الزمالك قبل تسع سنوات، مؤكدًا احتياج الفريق الأبيض لصفقات قوية.
وقال ياسر في تصريحات تلفزيونية بفضائية “المحور”: “كنت قريبًا جدًا من الانضمام لنادي الزمالك في عام 2015”.
محامي أحمد فتوح يوضح موقفه القانوني بعد إخلاء سبيله.. وحقيقة العثور على مخدرات في سيارته
وأضاف: “اجتمعت رفقة وكيل أعمالي مع أحمد سليمان، ووقعت على العقود واتفقنا على المقابل المادي وكانت الأمور شبه منتهية”.
واستكمل: “ولكن الأزمة أنني كنت قد وقعت لنادي المصري قبل الزمالك وتمسكوا بي”.
واستطرد: “الزمالك يحتاج لصفقات قوية من أجل منافسة الأهلي، الأبيض غير قادر على المنافسة، والأجهز حاليًا هو الأهلي”.
واستأنف: “نظريًا، الأهلي الأقرب للفوز بـ كأس السوبر الإفريقي وإمام عاشور سيسجل هدفًا”.
وأتم: “كانت تجمعني علاقة جيدة مع الراحل إيهاب جلال، هو من الشخصيات التي لا تعوض على المستوى الانساني قبل الكروي”.
Shannon Gabriel, Evin Lewis back in contention; no room for Kieron Pollard, Marlon Samuels or Sunil Narine
ESPNcricinfo staff24-Apr-20191:02
Is West Indies’ World Cup squad too light on spin?
West Indies have named allrounder Andre Russell, who has played just one ODI since 2015, in their preliminary squad for the World Cup, but there was no room for Kieron Pollard or Marlon Samuels. Fast bowler Shannon Gabriel returns, two years since his last ODI, while Evin Lewis and Kemar Roach were included having sat out the recent series against England with injury.Also overlooked was Sunil Narine, the spinner whose previous ODI appearance came in 2016. He may require surgery on a finger ligament injury but remains keen to return for West Indies at some point. “I don’t feel my finger is quite ready for ODI cricket,” he told ESPNcricinfo.Chris Gayle, who has signalled his intention to retire from ODIs after the tournament, is set for a fifth World Cup, while spinning allrounder Fabian Allen won selection ahead of Devendra Bishoo. Alzarri Joseph was not considered after suffering a muscle tear and dislocation of his right arm while at the IPL.While questions about who might be included centred on a possible recall for Pollard, following his form at the IPL, or even a comeback from the retired Dwayne Bravo, the return of Russell was the most significant decision by the new selection panel headed by Robert Haynes.Andre Russell flicks for six•BCCIRussell has been hampered by a knee injury since returning to cricket last year following an anti-doping ban. He made one ODI and three T20I appearances on Bangladesh’s tour to the Caribbean in mid-2018, but has since played most of his cricket on the franchise T20 circuit – most recently at the ongoing IPL, where he has been a talismanic presence for Kolkata Knight Riders.West Indies will play an ODI tri-series against Ireland and Bangladesh, before the World Cup, and could still make changes to their 15 before the final May 23 cut-off. They recently named their squad to travel to Ireland, featuring fringe candidates such as Jonathan Carter, Shane Dowrich and Roston Chase.”Based on the new selection policy approach which allowed us to consider a number of players that have not regularly appeared in the side over the last two years, we had a wide base of talent from which to choose,” Haynes said.”There were a number of tough calls we had to make to settle on our squad of 15, including ensuring there was some continuity in the side, but we believe we have chosen a strong squad of players taking into consideration such factors as experience, fitness, team balance, current form and conditions.”In keeping with tournament regulations, we submitted our squad prior to the deadline date of yesterday. All players named for the tri-nations series could, however, stake a claim to be in the final 15-member squad that will be submitted after the tri-series and before the final deadline next month.”Gabriel has only played 18 ODIs and missed the opportunity to stake his World Cup case last month, when he was handed a four-match ban for on-field comments made to Joe Root in the St Lucia Test. However, Haynes referred to the extra pace he offers as being important if the white ball does not swing.Roach also missed the series against England, after suffering a stress reaction in his back, but returns to what is otherwise a largely settled squad that pulled off a 2-2 draw against the No. 1-ranked side.West Indies preliminary World Cup squad: Jason Holder (capt), Fabian Allen, Darren Bravo, Carlos Brathwaite, Sheldon Cottrell, Shannon Gabriel, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope (wk), Evin Lewis, Ashley Nurse, Nicholas Pooran, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Oshane Thomas